Five Days After the Festival
The morning sun crept over the treetops, painting the village of Thousand Fang in shades of amber and gold. The festival had ended five days ago, and the village was slowly returning to its usual rhythm, though "usual" was a relative term in a place that housed three dragon husbands, a pack of jaguar refugees, and more children than any sane person could count.
Ruì Xuě sat on the steps of his father's hut, his purple eyes fixed on the eastern path where the forest thickened into untamed wilderness. His white ears twitched at every sound, the rustle of leaves, the distant call of birds, the soft footsteps of his companion.
Miao Miao appeared beside him, her amber eyes bright with mischief. Her panther tail swished behind her as she plopped down on the step, close enough that their shoulders almost touched.
"Your fathers are taking forever," she announced.
Ruì Xuě's ears went pink. "They said they would be back before midday. It is not midday yet."
